• Audible Audio Edition
• Listening Length: 11 hours and 27 minutes
• Program Type: Audiobook
• Version: Unabridged
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Audible.com Release Date: September 12, 2017

My Review ( 5 Stars: Loved it!)

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is a well written, well thought out story.  The first half is devoted to laying ground work and building characters, the second half is to the engrossing plot.

Set in the time period around 1980, I’ve tagged this novel as Historical Fiction as it describes the times of that period (making me feel old).  I remember the history and time period well.

I read/listened to Little Fires Everywhere in starts and stops and found it was no problem picking up where I left off and no problem enjoy each and every chapter.  The narrator, Jennifer Lim, did an excellent job.

At the heart of this story are two families, at different sides of the spectrum, one very domestic and middle-class with a mother, father, and four children and the other a mother and daughter who are nomads.  The children are adolescents.  The focus of the novel is the mother/child relationship.  I am amazed at the number of perspective Ng manages to bring into this story.

While I have marked this novel as Historical Fiction, the 1980s were not too long ago and the issues at the heart of this novel have not changed much.

In Ng’s previous, debut, novel, Everything I Never Told You, family dynamics and disconnects were central to the story.  So far, this is common theme in her work.

What Others Are Saying About Little Fires Everywhere

“A beautiful and layered story, Little Fires Everywhere brought out themes of family dynamics, family secrets, and small town life.” – Laurel-Rain Snow

– Little Fires Everywhere is more action-packed than Everything I Never Told You and, I believe, has the potential for even broader appeal.

– And, the debate-starting issues it deals with make it a great book club selection! – Sarah’s Bookshelves

I loved that the book involved so many different issues that could affect immigrants as well as the general population. – Harvee @ Book Dilettante

About The Author (from the author’s website)

Celeste grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Shaker Heights, Ohio. She graduated from Harvard University and earned an MFA from the University of Michigan (now the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan), where she won the Hopwood Award.  Her fiction and essays have appeared in the New York Times, One Story, The Guardian, TriQuarterly, and elsewhere, and she is a recipient of the Pushcart Prize, the Massachusetts Book Award, the American Library Association’s Alex Award, and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.